One of the suspects who manned the recent grenade attack at Nyabugogo Taxi Park in Kigali, has said that he and his colleagues were sent on a mission by their boss, Colonel Enoch Bizimana alias ‘Matovu’ who commands a section of FDLR rebel in the DR Congo.
The 23 year old suspect, identified as Jean de Dieu Ntakirutimana, who left Rwanda at the age of 4 years, says that he joined and deserted FDLR forces and was later on contacted by the Colonel, through a third party, to conduct the attacks for a price.
“The rebel commanders assured that if we continue throwing the grenades in Kigali, just like others had done, we will be rewarded heavily once the rebels take power.. They actually assured us that the Kigali government will be overthrown this year” Ntakirutimana narrated to the media.
Ntakirutimana also pleaded guilty of the Nyabogogo grenade attacks and said he was not forced to do it but was paid 20 US dollars to do the job. “That money is a lot if you are a rebel in Congo” he noted.
Police sources that in March this year, Ntakirutimana entered Rwanda as a rebels defecting from the Congo, with four other suspects whom all possessed grenades to attack specific areas in Kigali and the group was assisted by some of the unnamed suspects.
On 26 July 2013, a grenade attack in Nyabugogo rocked residents and traders into a wave of fear and chaos; when a grenade was thrown from the market place, killing three and injuring more than thirty persons.
Two suspects were today paraded before the media by police in Kicukiro district. They had managed to walk away by foot, after the attack but were later in arrested, separately, in Rusizi and Bugesera districts following a police investigation that followed suit.
The suspect, X, said that in January this year, a team of four former FDLR rebels were sent by the colonel to come and throw the grenades in Kigali and he specified the exact place.
“The colonel told us the rebels were about take down the Kigali government by and if we did participate in these attacks we would highly rewarded and share the benefits for doing a good job” suspect X said.
The second suspect, identified as Jean de Dieu Muganake,21, who is also a brother in-law to suspect seld confessed ex-FDLR soldier-Ntakirutimana, said that he is innocent has nothing to do with the Nyabugogo grenade attacks, in spite the relations with the suspects.
“I don’t know anything do with the attacks in Kigali. I don’t know anything. I have not stepped in Kigali since last year” he said.
The Police spokesman, Theos Badege, however said that there are more suspects who have been held in connection with the attacks and confirmed that the FDLR rebels are behind these acts- which he called acts of terrorism.
“The suspects have given us clear information about the FDLR intensions in the grenade attacks, and we have no doubt they are the ones behind this. We are calling for all residents to cooperate with security officials and give information that will help us to track such people, and also avoid any cases of this nature” Badege remarked.
Badege said investigation is still ongoing and once the case file is completed, the suspects will be charged with counts of terrorism, conspiracy, murder, and intent to harm citizens, among others charges. He noted that the suspects could face a life sentence behind bars if found guilty by the courts of law.